title: Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels in children with heart disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in children with heart diseases before medical or surgical treatment for monitoring therapeutic efficacy in an observational prospective clinical trial at tertiary care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 522 paediatric patients at an age of 6.4 ± 5.2 years (mean ± SD; range: 14 days-18 years) with congenital heart disease (CHD), cardiomyopathies (CMP) or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), plasma BNP levels were evaluated before and under treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most types of heart disease are associated with increased mean plasma BNP levels before treatment, with highest values in children with CMP (BNP 6165 pg/mL in dilated CMP vs. 817 pg/mL in hypertrophic, vs. 1236 pg/mL in restrictive CMP, each p < 0.05). Children with PAH showed a significant decrease in BNP levels under medical treatment (mean BNP 981 pg/mL before vs. 26 pg/mL under treatment, p < 0.05). Children with univentricular CHD undergoing surgical staged palliation showed a significant decrease in BNP levels after bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (BDCP) (BNP 109 pg/mL before vs. 70 pg/mL after BDCP, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma BNP levels are elevated in children with heart disease before treatment and are a useful laboratory parameter under treatment during long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. walter.knirsch@kispi.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Knirsch
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Häusermann
authors.forename: Margrit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fasnacht
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hersberger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gessler
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bauersfeld
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain